Collapsible chicken-crate.



G. L. YINGLING. COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 31, 1914.

1 1 98,3 05 Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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G. L. YINGLING. COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN CRATE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31. 1914'.

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STAT AE COLLAPSIBLE CHICKEN-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed January 31, 1914. Serial No. 815,739.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. YINGLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVinston-Salem, in the county of Forsythe and State of North Carolina, have invented .certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Chicken-Crates, of which the following in a specification.

This invention relates to an improved chicken coop or crate, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a crate in which chickens may be placed for shipment, and which is so constructed that it may be folded into a fiat mass when not in use. This permits the coop to be stored in a small space and also permits coops to be shipped back to the wholesale dealer after the chickens have been removed from the coop.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the coop that the side walls will engage the end walls and hold the end walls in a folded position so that the endwalls will hold the side walls in a raised position when the coop is in a set-up position.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the coop in the set-up position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal view through the coop in the set-up position; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the coop in a set-up position; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the coop in the folded position; Fig. 5 is an end elevation with the end walls folded to a lowered position and the side walls and top shown in the set-up position in full lines and indicated in the folded position by dotted lines.

The bottom or flooring 10 of this coop may be formed from a single board or from a number of boards which preferably eX- tend longitudinally of the coop. Cross bars 11 are secured to the ends of the flooring 10 and serve to brace the flooring and prevent the ends from being cracked, or broken through rough handling of the coop. The strips or bars will also serve to hold the body portion of the flooring off the ground and thus prevent the flooring from becoming wet in case the coop is placed upon damp ground or upon a wet pavement. Longitudinally-extending strips 12 are secured to the face of the flooring adjacent the side edges, the strips being of substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the end walls, this being done to permit the side walls to rest flat when folded upon the end walls.

The end walls are provided with upper and lower bars 18 and let which are held in spaced relation by the cross bars 15 which cross bars 15 are placed a short distance from the ends of the bars 13 and let so that when the end walls are folded, the cross bars 15 will not strike the hinges 16 which connect the side walls with the flooring. These end walls are connected with the floormg by means of the countersunk hinges 17 and it will thus be seen that the end walls may be folded fiat upon the flooring. Wire 18 is provided to complete the end walls. The side walls have their lower bars 19 connected with the hinges 16 which are secured to the strips 12. The upper bars 20 are connected with the lower bars 19 by means of the cross bars 21, wire 22 being provided to complete the side walls. The side Walls are constructed very similar to the end walls with the exception that the cross bars 21 are placed at the ends of the longitudinally-extending bars 19 and 20 instead of being placed at a short distance from the ends of the longitudinallyextending bars.

The cover for the coop is not connected with the end walls and is loosely connected with the side walls by means of the links 23. This cover is provided with longitudinally-extending side bars 24 and end bars 25 which connect the side bars and are formed from upper and lower strips 26. These strips 26 are secured to the upper and lower faces of the side bars 2 L so that the side bars will hold them in spaced relation and blocks 27 are placed between the strips 26 so that slots 28 will be formed. The bolts 29 which connect the cover with the links 23 pass through these slots 28 and these bolts are thus permitted to have a slight sliding movement so that the side walls may be swung inwardly in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fi 5 and the cover then brought to rest upon the side walls. Resilient strips are secured to the flooring or bottom 10 and have their free end portions bent to form hooks 80 which will engage the cover when the coop is in the folded position and prevent the coop from accidentally moving out of the folded position. It should also be noted that when the crate is in a set up position the hooks 30 will engage the side walls an thus constitute resilient means holding the side walls in tight engagement with the end walls to prevent any danger of the end walls slipping out of place and falling in: wardly.

When this coop is in the folded position, the end walls are folded inwardly to rest upon the flooring l0 and the side walls are folded inwardly to rest upon the end walls. The cover will rest upon the side Walls and will be engaged by the hooks 30 so that the cover will be securely held in tight engagement with the side walls thus causing the coop to be securely held in a compact mass. hen it is desired to use the coop, the cover is released from the hooks and is raised thus drawing with it the side walls which will move beneath the side edges of the cover and thus hold the cover in the raised position. The end walls will now be raised and will swing between the side walls and beneath the ends of the cover so that they Will prevent the side walls from folding inwardly and will assist in supporting the cover. If desired, any suitable means may be provided for releasably holding the end walls in a raised position. The coop can therefore be stored by the wholesale dealers in a Very small amount of space and can be shipped back to the wholesale dealer after the chickens have been sold since the folded crates do not take up much room and therefore a great many crates could be placed in a comparatii' ely small space in a freight car.

I claim A collapsible receptacle comprising a flooring, end walls pivotally connected with said flooring, side walls pivotally connected with said flooring a cover resting upon the upper edges of said side walls and including end strips positioned in spaced relation, blocks slidably mounted between the end strips of said cover, and links pivotallv connected with said sidewalls and pivotally connected with said blocks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. L. YINGLING. Vitnesses S. O. HINKLE, V. L. OAKES.

copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

